Learning DraftSight for Windows: A Self-directed Approach

DraftSight is a free, two-dimensional Computer Aided Design (CAD) program that can create, edit and view DWG files. This book is focused on teaching you to use DraftSight and will get you started using the software right from the start.

What sets this text apart from others is its ability to provide you with greater choices in the quest for learning CAD software. Every effort has been made to provide an environment which covers the two main uses of the software: Mechanical and Architectural drafting. Although diverse, these fields are related enough such that beginning CAD skills learned in one area can be adapted to the other.

Exercises and activities found in this text are typically grouped as either Mechanical or Architectural. You may decide which path to take, or do both. Skills learned in these areas are transferable to subsets of these groups as well (e.g., electrical, civil, structural, textile design, interior design, and landscape design).

In order to best meet the needs of beginning CAD students, this book has two parts. Part A, “General Skills”, covers the basic commands necessary to effectively create geometry using DraftSight. Part B, “Specialized Skills”, contains optional modules that are designed to address specific needs. Building on what was learned in Part A, you should be able to generate and plot production-quality multi/plan view drawings on your own at the completion of Part B.

After completing this text you will be able to create simple multi-view projections of mechanical objects, as well as plan and elevation views of architectural structures. It is assumed that you approach this book with some background in drafting, including proficiency in orthographic projection, sectioning, and dimensioning practices. The purpose of this text is to assist in learning the DraftSight software program, not drafting skills in general.

This book is OK for beginners and for basic reference. But don't expect advanced concepts such as the creation of custom hatch patterns. I found this DraftSight function extremely frustrating with no definitive help anywhere. Other advanced functions may also be missing from this book.